The present invention relates to an apparatus having a panel and an integral perimeter frame, and more particularly relates to a furniture article having a flexible panel and a molded-on perimeter frame.
The assignee of the present invention recently developed an all-plastic synchrotilt chair that is characteristically light in weight, yet durable and in some versions, stackable. In one version of the chair, a seat was made that included a flexible center section with laterally extending strips for resiliently supporting a seated user. The seat further included an integrally formed tubular perimeter frame made of contiguous material to the center section, which was made by gas assisted molding processes. However, further improvements are desired.
Specifically, development has shown that it is difficult to have a single material that satisfactorily forms a flexible center section, yet that also is stiff enough to form a rigid tubular perimeter frame to stabilize the center section. For example, the flexible center section needs to be made of a material that is compliant, long lasting in flexure without failure, mar-resistant, and capable of providing a good defect-free appearance. Further, the material of the center section must be capable of flowing along small cross sections for relatively long distances in order to form long flexible strips. On the other hand, the perimeter frame material needs to provide high strength and stiffness, and preferably needs to be optimally suited for gas assisted molding processes. These requirements are conflicting, since materials that flow well through small cross sections for long distances, tend to have lower strength and lower stiffness properties than are desired for structural components.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In one aspect of the present invention, a furniture component includes a panel component made of a flexible compliant plastic, the panel component having a continuous perimeter flange and further having flexible strips extending between portions of the perimeter flange that are shaped to flex to comfortably support a human body part. The furniture component further includes a perimeter frame made of a reinforced structural plastic different than the flexible compliant plastic, the perimeter frame being integrally molded onto and bonded to the perimeter flange to stiffen the perimeter flange and support the panel component.
In another aspect of the present invention, an article includes a panel component of a first material having a central area with an enlarged show surface and having a perimeter flange extending continuously around the central area. A tubular frame of a polymeric second material is integrally molded onto and bonded to the perimeter flange to stiffen and support the panel component. The second material is stiffer than the first material and adapted to provide rigid lightweight structural support for the panel component.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a furniture component includes steps of molding a panel component of a flexible compliant plastic, the panel component having a continuous perimeter flange and further having flexible strips extending between portions of the perimeter flange that are shaped to flex to comfortably support a human body part. The method further includes molding a perimeter frame of a reinforced structural plastic different than the flexible compliant plastic onto the panel component, including as part of this molding step integrally bonded the perimeter frame to the perimeter flange to stiffen the perimeter flange and support the panel component.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing an article comprising steps of forming a panel component of a first material having a central area with an enlarged visible surface and having a perimeter flange extending continuously around the central area. The method further includes molding a tubular frame of a polymeric second material integrally onto the perimeter flange to stiffen and support the panel component, the second material being characteristically stiff and bonded to the perimeter flange to provide rigid lightweight structural support around a perimeter of the panel component.